What Parents Do Not Know About Social Media & Terrorism

In the recent past, there has been rapid growth of the digital world, this is in terms of communication gadgets, social platforms and ease of access to data connectivity. Currently, social media is almost a self-existent universe by itself with smoothly interlinked platforms that allow for mass sharing of content freely with the touch of a button.

Social media offers wide coverage and this makes it very convenient when it comes to communicating to the masses, far and wide. Terrorist groups have seized the opportunity choosing to convey their messages on these platforms with an aim of influencing and recruiting.

These platforms have also evolved with time offering even more edge& precision for effective communication, for example, real-time engagement through online chats. This offers a lot of one on one engagement, just like an actual real-time conversation which easily allows for radicalisation, influencing and ultimately recruiting subjects.

Terror groups have also advanced to develop websites for pure uninterrupted transmission of their messages. Further to this, they’ve also moved to take cover or rather disguise themselves inside mobile applications (Apps) and even computer games. This gives them the necessary contact needed to either subliminally influence or directly communicate to their subject with the goal of recruiting them and also conduct attacks.

Dear parents, as scary as it might sound, the fight on terrorism is a fight for all of us; it’s a scourge that would only be eliminated if we fight as a unit. The most important ingredients are engaging with our children positively, being alert and actively involving the authorities whenever there’s a threat or even suspicion.
There’s nothing quite impossible to counter really, we should always raise red flags and report such targeted websites, blogs, mobile apps and social engagement platforms by terror militia groups. This will eventually trigger vetting and eventually lead to pulling off or shut down.

As for those who are parents in the modern world, the information age, it’s always good to monitor your child’s activity on the internet or as they engage with their gaming consoles and even mobile devices. Initiative here is key, to be able to even detect behavioural change in our children.

Some tendencies such as change of attitude towards everyone, the need to lock themselves up and want to be alone, dropping and changing to new friends among other things are some of the things that shouldn’t be neglected. Terrorism is a reality whose end or defeat depends on our attention.